“Small business optimism is on the rise following the election,” said Craig Everett, PhD, assistant professor of finance and director of the Pepperdine Private Capital Markets Project. “If President Trump is successful in fulfilling his campaign pledges to lower taxes and create a more business-friendly climate, we should see increased activity in the market. If the corporate tax rate drops from 35 percent to 15 percent, as he has proposed, businesses will have more capital to push into expansion and acquisition.” Read report